Music & Lyrics
by mySOLEloveisMASEY
Summary: A business deal between Nathan and Haley, turns into much more. Slight, Pathan but eventual Naley!
1. Temporary Insanity

Music and Lyrics

A/N This idea came to me after watching the movie Music and Lyrics, but the plot only has some elements of the movie. It starts off slow but be patient, this is my first one tree hill story. Reviews are appreciated. I do not own OTH or Music & Lyrics but I wish I owned James Lafferty!

Nathan Scott, star shooting guard of the Lakers, woke up to the sounds of his brother, Lucas, furiously typing away on his laptop. Lucas is the small forward of the Lakers but writes novels whenever inspiration strikes him. He has already had three published and every one was a best seller.

Nathan sat up in his bed, and was surprised to feel his head throbbing. Usually he was able to hold his liquor, but it seems that things must have gotten a little out of hand the night before. Suddenly, the previous events of last night came into Nathan's mind and he realised that he had once again acted like a jackass. "Shit! Luke, I think I'm gonna need your help with something."

"What did you do this time, Nate."

"Oh, nothing, I justpromisedPeytonthatIwouldrightheralovesong."

"What?! You can right worth crap. How the hell did this happen?"

"Well, we were celebrating my victory when all of the sudden Peyton went into full-on bitch mode, about me not carrying for her. She said she needed proof that I wanted to be in this relationship, and I remebered that she gave me some crap music mix and the first song was called Write You a Song. So, I promised her that I would do it as a sign on our love."

"But, you don't_ love_ her."

"Dude I know, but I only have to make it through one more month, and then I can dump her. It'll be six months by then and that's all the time that Jake said I needed to dat someone, in order to clean up my image. You have to help me."

"Sorry, you go yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out of it."

"Great, I'm screwed!"

Nathan was strapped for ideas. He had spent the whole day trying to write a song. But, found that he was unable to bullshit his way through it. Somehow, verything he wrote seemed to be along the lines of "I could really care less about your feelings, this is just a dumb publiciy stunt." However, he couldn't give that to Peyton, or his relationship would be over, and he would owe Jake 50,000 and could possibly be sued for breach of contract. After many drunken nights and a serious car accident, His manager, Jake Jageilski, informed him that he needed to prove to the public that he could be a responsible person, and his solution was a girlfriend for six months. Nathan also had to spend time doing various things for charity organizations and cut back on partying. Nathan's songwriting crap-fest was interrupted by persistent knocking on the door. He opened the door to reveal Haley James, Lucas' best friend. She pushed her way through the door and began looking for Lucas. However, being the klutz that she is, she tripped over one of Nathan's basketball shoes and went flying through the air, the contents of her bag spilling onto the floor. She gathered most of them and quickly retreated to Lucas' room. Nathan was about to go back to working on his song, when he found a piece of paper on the floor, it appeared to be a poem written by Haley.

_I can't tell the stars from the downtown lights  
If i said I was truly over you  
my heart would say amen  
but I'd give in to the cold caress of 2 am.  
If I admit I can't get used to this  
will my heart break again?  
as i fall into the waiting arms of 2 AM_

"Wow, this is good!" Nathan thought, and began to sprint down the hall to find Haley. "Hey, Haley, I really need to talk to you."

"What do you want Nathan?"

"Well, you dropped this on the floor and I thought that you could help me write a song for Peyton."

"Why would _I_ help _you_?"

"Well, I know you can't resist me, and if you help me I'll pay for you to release your own record. Let's face it you know you want to."

"Fine, but only so that I can start my own career, not because I want to help you, because I don't"


	2. There's us

"Alright, let's get this over with," Haley called to Nathan, as she entered the Scott Brothers' penthouse suite. She had spent the whole morning trying to prolong the inevitable, but eventually Nathan got impatient and threatened to pull out of the deal so she was stuck.

"Ok, so where's my song?" Nathan replied, he really needed to get back into Peyton's good graces fast. She was starting to cozy up to Jake, and that would ruin everything.

"I don't know, where is it?"

"Don't play dumb, Haley, I know you write all the time just give me the rest of the song I saw and you can start working on your album."

"I'm sorry, but help does not mean giving away my songs that help me to sort out my issues. Besides, I don't think Peyton would appreciate a love song about wanting to get over her."

Nathan suddenly felt stressed, Haley was actually going to force him to help write a song, and he needed it done fast and it had to be good. His nerves starting to get the better of him, he walked to the kitchen, in need of a drink.

While he was gone, Haley began to let her fingers glide against the ivory keys before her. She couldn't stop thinking about _him_, last night, so she followed the advice he once gave her to channel her feelings into music.

_Freeze-frame_

_I'm not about to cry_

_It's too late for us to change_

_Why try_

_I've got a camera_

_Tucked away inside my heart_

_If I'm a loser_

_Or just unlucky_

_So are you_

_Not everything is supposed to come true_

_Some words are best unsaid_

_Some love is not really love at all_

_I'll keep everything I shared with you_

_And that's enough_

_There's us_

"How about we use that for Peyton's song?" Nathan questioned. He had come back from the kitchen to find Haley's angelic voice mixing with the chords of the piano and was transfixed. She had real talent, and he knew that she would be successful.

"Um, or we could cut out my heart, and you can stomp on it. It would have the same effect. Look, Nathan, you don't understand, when you write a song it comes from your experiences. That particular experience was painful enough as it is. So please, don't add insult to injury."

"What is so horrible about that song?"

"That song, as well as 2am and a lot of others, is about Chris Keller. He's my ex-boyfriend. He left about two months ago, to pursue his career in music, leaving me behind. Oh yeah, and did I mention that he broke up with me via text! So, excuse me if I don't want to share that moment with Peyton."

"Whatever, I have more important things to deal with than your pathetic excuse for a love life."

"Fine, how about I come back later when your not such an ass, so I guess I won't ever see you again." Haley exclaimed as she slammed the door. How dare he mock her pain, but afterall he is Nathan Scott. Why on earth would he care about anyone but himself. Haley went back home to cover her emotional scars with chick flicks and cookie dough.

Nathan didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt bad for saying that to Haley. Maybe I'm just concerned because the song isn't finished. He tried to rationalize the development of his conscious. But, in the back of his mind, he knew that Haley might be able to help break down the wall around him.


	3. Who am I fooling?

A/N I really don't want to sound demanding or anything, but I would greatly appreciate any reviews because I like to incorporate the feedback of the readers into my stories i.e. the type of things that you like about and the parts you don't. I know the first two chapters were rough but it's getting better, I promise.

Nathan texted Haley the next day hoping that she would meet him. He had royally screwed up, yet again. Haley was his chance for redemption and he blew it by getting jealous of Chris Keller. As much as he hated to admit it, the reason he had jumped down her throat was because he didn't want to hear about the pain that Chris had caused her. He tried to attribute it to Lucas' influence but he was mad that Chris would blow it with such an amazing girl. He had been spending way too much time with Lucas, he really needed to spend more time with someone else, but Lucas was his only family left. They had grown close over the years.After Haley rebuffed his request, Nathan texted her pretending to be Lucas, and Haley said to meet her at her house. Nathan raced over to the small apartment that Haley called "home." He had to make things right with her or he would be in trouble.

When Haley opened her door, she was surprised to see Nathan on the other side. She quickly moved to shut the door, but Nathan blocked her attempt. "Listen, Haley, I am sorry about what happened yesterday."

"Why should I believe anything you say?" She eyed him questioningly. _Why is he apologizing? This is not the Nathan Scott that I know, it can't be real._

"Because it's the truth. I shouldn't have said anything. It was wrong of me, I just really need this song to be finished or even started, for that matter. The longer it takes, the longer it will be before Peyton forgives me, and I need her to forgive me now." Nathan was only partially telling the truth, he couldn't have Haley know that he was bothered by her mistreatment from Chris. But he really did need her help, if he was going to keep his contract.

"Why do you need her to forgive her? I mean, you treat her like crap all the time. You don't ever seem to care about her feelings, and you certainly don't love her. I doubt that you even like her!" Haley was fed up with his faux sincerity. he had never shown any signs of caring for Peyton. He treated her like crap, but when they were in front of the paparazzi he acted like the perfect boyfriend. It didn't add up and Haley was sick of seeing her best friend treated like crap because Nathan felt he could do whatever he wanted.

Seeing that he was getting nowhere, Nathan decided to cut the b.s. and just tell her the truth. She might not help him then, but at least she would believe him. "Look, the truth is that I really do need Peyton to forgive me. Just, not because I love her. My contract with the Lakers is almost up, and my manager said that if I didn't clean up my act, I would be out of a job. No one wants the bad boy of the NBA, even if he is a great player. So dating Peyton proves to the public that I can be a good guy. I need her to forgive me because she is my only shot at doing the one thing I love most in the world: playing basketball."

"So what, that gives you an excuse? You're using her, to manipulate the public. I think that proves that you're just an insensitive, egotistical, jerk! Why would I want to help you, after you admit to me that you're playing one of my best friends for publicity. Life isn't basketball,Nathan, you can't just play around with people's emotions in hopes of coming out on top in the end."

"You're telling me that you wouldn't do whatever it takes, if it meant living out your dream? You and I both know that's not true. Otherwise, you wouldn't have agreed to help me with this song, you agreed because I can pay for your first album. We both know that you want to be a singer, and that you have the talent but not the money. So get off your high-horse because, you've been helping me for your own benefit."

"Yeah, the difference being that this is a business relationship. It's a trade-off. You using Peyton is not a business deal, at least not to her. She has no clue that you don't care about her. She thinks that you really like her. Your not manipulating me, but you are manipulating her. That is something that I can not stand for, she is one of my best friends. There are enough conniving people in this world, and I don't want to be one of them. Not to mention that Peyton has already has suffered more than anyone should she has lost so many people it's just not fair to -"

Haley didn't get to finish her train of thought, because Nathan had grabbed her face and attacked her lips. He had barely registered anything she had said, because he had been captivated by her lips. He had started to wonder what they would taste like and couldn't control himself. So he cut off her incessant rambling, by pulling her into a kiss. All thoughts of Peyton went out the window, when Nathan kissed Haley. She could no longer think about her best friend, all she could think about was the feel of his lips on hers.

"You shouldn't have done that." Haley replied, breaking their lips apart.

"But I wanted to."

"Well to bad, your dating Peyton and I don't want to break her heart by betraying her. I think you should leave, I'll text you later with ideas for a song."

Nathan was unable to respond, no one ever turned her down. He thought that she was getting into the whole thing, and she shut him down. He knew that he wouldn't be able get her out of his head or his dreams. Knowing it was useless to stay, he turned around and left. Haley was shocked, Nathan had really kissed her and she couldn't deny that she wanted to kiss him again. But she didn't want to hurt Peyton. She also wasn't ready to get hurt again. Chris had broken her, and she didn't want Nathan to destroy her. With her thought being jumbled in her head, she went over to the piano and began to compose a song. It always seemed to straighten everything out, she hoped it would work this time.

_What just happened?  
Did you kiss me?  
Cause that's a place we've never been until now_

And I don't know how it's gonna be after this  
Do we pretend these feelings don't exist at all  
Or do we fall? 

_It's temporary insanity  
What's going on with you and me?  
Is it real or is it fantasy?  
Forever or just temporary? _

_Was it all a big mistake?  
And if it was, it's much too late to undo  
And I don't really want to_

Let you go but I still don't know  
How I feel about you  
What this really means  
It's crazy to want you  
Is it meant to be? 

She knew that it was just a rough draft, but she felt it would become the most important part of the song, because it held the most significance to her.


	4. Darkness Round the Sun

A/N: Thank you so much to the people that reviewed, it really means a lot to me. Unless I get some serious writer's block, I have the story planned out and chapters should be more frequent. This chapter is dedicated to Danielle aka "Ligo" because she listens to my storylines and that helps me tremendously. Also except for "peyton's song," all songs used in this story are from instant star. Haley's lyrics for "peyton's song" are from Dessert Kisses by Siouxsie and the Banshees. I own nothing.

Haley James had never been more confused in her entire life. She was now officially a hypocrite. After berating Nathan for not being honest with Peyton, she neglected to tell Peyton about her kiss with Nathan. The worst part being that she had felt alive when Nathan kissed her. The world and all its problems had melted away, and for the first time since Chris left, she was genuinely happy. But this was all so wrong! She was not supposed to feel anything but disdain towards Nathan. Haley's life had been turned upside down and he was the one to blame for it all. She knew that if she didn't talk to someone about it soon then she would explode. So, she called the only other person that new about Nathan's plan: Lucas.

When Lucas arrived, he didn't fail to notice the turmoil written across her face. Lately she seemed to be acting differently, her mind was always somewhere else and he figured that Haley was ready to come clean with whatever had been plaguing her thoughts.

"Thanks for coming, Luke. I really need to talk to you about something. But before I say anything, you have to promise not to say anything to anyone, and you can't judge me." Lucas promised, and Haley, visibly relieved, continued, "First off, your brother is a jackass. I know you feel the same way, but it's the best way to preface what I am about to say. Nathan...kinda..sorta..kissedmeandIkissedhimback."

"Wait...Nathan, my brother, kissed you? That's a jackass move, alright. Not that your too repulsive too be kissed or anything, I am just shocked." Lucas was glad that Haley had come clean, but he was concerned over the second part of her confession. _Why would she kiss him back, she hates him._

"I know it was dumb, and I don't know what came over me, but I liked it. Yes, that's a bit of an overshare but I am really confused right now. And don't play all innocent, I know that Nathan is using Peyton, he told me so himself. I betrayed one of my best friends, and it is all his fault."

"Look, Hales, you need to talk to him about it, and though you'd probably prefer to shove an icepick through your eye. It has to be done, not to mention the fact that you need to work with him."

"I know, you're right. I just needed to tell someone first. Well, I guess there's no point in delaying the inevitable. I'll go visit that dear, sweet, brother of yours," Haley's voice dripping with sarcasm.

Nathan was seriously conflicted. He might actually be developing feelings for Haley, but he was too far in this situation with Peyton. He knew that Haley wouldn't betray her best friend by secretly seeing him. She valued her friendship too much to do that. It was strange, Haley actually made him wish he was single, simply so that he could date her. The kiss that they shared was different from ones that he had with other girls. There was something undescribably perfect about it. He was pulled out of his thoughts by an incessant pounding on the door of his apartment. Needless to say, he was shocked to see Haley on the other side of the door.

"We really need to start working on this song. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go back to avoiding eachother," Haley spoke with determination. She was afraid to make eye contact because if she did, her resolve would come tumbling down. This song had to be completed soon, she could not spend more time with Nathan than necessary. More time could mean that she would fall for Nathan, and that was unacceptable.

"Alright, come on in." Nathan had figured that Haley would want to pretend that nothing had happened, and he was okay with that...for now. But eventually, he would get her to talk about, he just had to figure out a way to casually approach the subject.

"So, what did you have in mind for this song. There has to be some kind of feeling behind the lyrics or it won't mean anything, and Peyton would never forgive you if you messed up this song."

"Well, I don't want to lie to her. I mean, if there is feeling behind the song, then I can't. She'd notice and then I would be screwed. We have a really complicated relationship. I don't love her at all, but I care about her, in my own way. Not really romantically, more platonically. Our relationship is extreme because, she is either euphoric or pissed beyond belief. I never know what to expect and I think that somewhere she knows that neither of us are in love with the other one."

"Unbelievable, you can't lie to her about the lyrics of a song, but you can lie to her about your relationship. That is ridiculous, but I'm here to help you write your song, not hand out advice."s

"I'm unbelievable? It's been a week since _we_ kissed, and you haven't told Peyton. You sit here and preach about honesty, but I don't see you telling her the truth. Besides, Peyton reads a lot into the lyrics of a song and so if it's insincere she'll notice it. Music is her life, she can spot the difference between real emotion and fake sincerity in the lyrics of a song, even if she can't in real life."

"Whatever, so you forced yourself into a situation with someone you don't love. According to you, Peyton is always pissed, with good reason I might add. And you care about her, but you rarely show it."

"Yeah I guess that's how I feel."

"Alright so let's put that into lyrics..um..let's see.. _Cursed and pissed into the ocean, Willfully caused a great...commotion. But only for a stifled moment, then it was back to still life motion. _I guess that could be a verse, it's a start."

"Damn, you really are good at this. You make it sound so much better than, you're pms-ing all the time, I'm really messing with your mind. Sometimes I care about you, but not in the way you want me too. It rhymed, but I guess mine's a bit harsher than yours."

"Ya think? Okay we have our start, but I'm not sure where to go from there, so I guess we should call it a day." Haley started for the front door, but her wrist was suddenly being yanked, by Nathan so that she was now facing him.

"Hales, I don't really know how to say this but...I really want to kiss you again, and I think you should let me. Because we both know that there is some chemistry here."

"Nice try, Nathan, but I can't kiss you, and I won't allow you to kiss me. It's just wrong, and it would make me feel worse than I already do." Haley couldn't help but notice that Nathan's eyes had lit up when he talked about kissing her, and immeadeatly darkened when she rejected him. She couldn't bear the hurt that showed in his eyes, and quickly left the apartment.

When she returned to her own apartment, she couldn't get the image of his eyes dancing with delight and then quickly deflating. They became her inspiration while she began to write a new song, about her feelings for Nathan, and the disappointment they shared, for their horrible timing.

_Somewhere there's a sea that has no other side  
Somewhere there's an airplane lost, beyond the sky  
So fly us up, above the clouds  
Live your life, where you are now_

In the darkness round the sun  
There's a light behind your eyes  
When you've lost the will to run  
You can feel it start to shine  
When the rain falls down so hard  
And you don't know where to start  
Ohh, drowned in the sun

Somewhere someone thinks they've found their perfect love  
And you think you've found the answer to all of this  
So hang on  
Sometimes we miss  
I'll be your perfect kiss

In the darkness round the sun  
Theres a light behind your eyes  
When you've lost the will to run  
You can feel it start to shine  
When the rain falls down so hard  
And you don't know where to start  
drowned in the sun  



	5. Liar, Liar

Lucas was functioning on autopilot as he made his way to Brooke's house. He had so many questions about Haley's confession. He knew that Nathan was notorious for using girls, but even he knew better than to mess with his brother's best friend. It didn't make sense. Haley and Nathan had_ always _hated eachother, so what had changed? They had quickly gone from being sworn enemies to kissing?! Lucas really needed some time to think about the situation, but that was going to have to wait so that he could spend some time with Brooke.

Brooke quickly noticed that something was wrong with Lucas. Sure, she had nicknamed him "Broody," but this seemed to go beyond his usual disposition. Something was troubling him, and she was determined to find out what it was. "Hey Broody, what's the matter? You seem upset," Brooke questioned after greeting him at the door with a quick peck.

"It's nothing Cheery, something Haley told me is seriously confusing me and I guess I don't know how to deal with it."

"Well, why don't you tell me? You know that you can trust me, besides you're probably making a big deal out of something small." Lucas knew that he was treading into dangerous waters, but Brooke was right, he could trust her. Maybe she would be able to help him solve this problem.

"Okay, but you can't say anything, understand?" Brooke nodded her head in agreement, waiting for him to continue. "Well, I talked to Haley yesterday and apparently Nathan kissed her and she enjoyed it. Which doesn't make sense because they hate eachother but she seemed completely sincere when she said it."

"You know, opposites attract. Maybe spending some time together allowed them to realize that they liked eachother. I mean, look at us, we're very different but...it works. I'm sure it will resolve itself in the end, what's the worst that could happen?" Lucas had way too many answers to that question, but he decided to keep those thoughts to himself. Feeling slightly better about the situation, Lucas and Brooke left her apartment to head to his where the Scott brothers had decided to throw a party.

Nathan was setting up the apartment and couldn't stop himself from hoping that Haley would show up. He knew yesterday that she reject him, but he had to try. He had developed feelings for her, which was quite the feat considering a few weeks ago he hated her. But suddenly he couldn't wait to see her. He was pretty sure that she was coming because he had casually asked Peyton, but he knew that Haley might try to wiggle her way out of it. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. Nathan couldn't help but smile when the object of his affection walked in with his girllfriend. Yes, usually they were the same person, but this situation was a bit ... different.

Haley really hadn't wanted to come to this party, but she had already promised Luke and Peyton that she would go for moral support, or something. She wasn't entirely sure that she could face Nathan, especially after all the dreams she had last night about being his girlfriend. She really couldn't describe the intense attraction that she felt towards him, it was just undeniable. But, Haley was fighting her feelings as hard as she could. She was startled when she felt his presence behind her, and couldn't refuse when he asked to talk with her in private.

"Hey, Hales, I just wanted to say ... I'm sorry," Nathan mumbled so quietly that Haley had to strain to hear it.

"What, Why?" Haley was officially more confused than she had been. What was he sorry for? Was it for kissing her, because she wasn't sure that she liked that idea.

"Well, I know that you aren't a fan of cheating, and even though this I view Peyton as a business arrangement. Both of you don't see it that way. So, I'm sorry."

Haley was flabbergasted, was Nathan Scott apologizing? This had to be a first, she knew that he did what he wanted when he wanted but he never apologized for it. In fact, he usually bragged about it. And he certainly did not apologize for his lack of morality. It was something he tended to pride himself on. All she could think to do was nod her head, and quickly mutter an "It's okay," before practically sprinting to the bathroom to compose herself.

While Haley and Nathan had been talking, Peyton was hanging out with Brooke. When Brooke noticed Nathan and Haley, she couldn't help but smile. Though they were very different, the kind of looked adorable together.

" You know, I never thought that I would say this but, Nathan and Haley look cute together. I mean when Lucas told me they kissed, I couldn't believe it. But now, well there's no denying the chemistry between them, their body language says it all." Brooke finally turned towards Peyton, and then remembered that she wasn't supposed to tell anyone and that Peyton and Nathan were dating. "OOPS!! Pretend I didn't say anything."

"I don't think I can do that Brooke. In fact I think I need to have a little talk with Haley. Peyton went to go find Haley, and followed her after she saw Haley exit the bathroom. Haley had moved towards the grand piano and was staring at it intently.

Nathan sat down next to Haley and asked her if she would play something, Haley politely declined. But Peyton saw this as her opportunity to call out Haley on her alleged actions. "Yeah, Haley, how about that song you wrote after you found Chris' good-by note. What was it called? Oh yeah...Liar,Liar...seems fitting don't you think?"

"Peyton, what are you talking about? You hate that song."

"Well, lyrics always convey the truth, and considering what happened between you and Nathan I think you can guess which parts I would like to say to you."

"Peyton wait, it wasn't supposed to happen. It was a dumb mistake!"

"Whatever you need to tell yourself Haley, but you know it was wrong. I'll see you later Nathan."

Haley couldn't believe that Peyton solely blamed her for the kiss. Nathan had started it, it was a childish thing to say but it was the truth and now Haley didn't know if her best friend would ever forgive her. Not knowing what to do, and seeing Nathan's questioning expression over the lyrics of the song Haley began to play it.

_You said I was your everything,  
You said I was the one,  
You played me like a radio,  
You use to love that I had no shame._

Pour my pain into words,  
Hold my hand to the flame.

Tell me you'll love me like a star  
Tell me you'll want me wherever you are,  
Tell me you'll breathe me until your last breath.  
Liar, Liar, oh, Liar, Liar.

Bit by bit I feel the draft,  
Just sit back and watch it burn,  
Hold your eyes up to my veins,  
Call out, call out my name

Tell me you'll love me like a star,  
Tell me you'll want me wherever you are,  
Tell me you'll breathe me until your last breath.  
Liar, Liar,  
Oh, Liar, Liar, Liar, Liar, Oh, Liar, Liar

Meanwhile, Peyton had a very important phone call to make, she waited impatiently for the person to pick up the phone, "Hello, Chris?"


	6. Natural Disaster

A/N Sooooo sorry that it has taken me so long to update. I had been preping for college, and then adjusting to college. Therefore it has taken awhile, but I hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint!

Haley had run home crying after Peyton's tirade. She hated Peyton for being a bitch and taking everything out on her, but she hated herself even more for betraying one of her best friends. She was used to being the responsible one, and when she actually decided to throw caution to the wind temporarily, it bit her in the ass. This was all her fault, Nathan was the same jerk that he had always been, but this was so out of character for Haley. Haley tried to compose herself when she heard someone knocking on the door. Hoping it was Peyton, Haley ran to the door and threw it open. As fate would have it, the bane of her existence was on the other side.

"Go Away, Nathan. This is all your fault. Peyton hates me now, and I don't blame her, I betrayed her trust. And the worst part is that it was all for nothing. You and I are never going to get together, it's not possible."

"Hales, just hear me out. I'm not going away until you hear me out," Haley rolled her eyes, but moved away from the door enough for him to enter. She was curious to hear what he had to say. "Okay, I really didn't expect you to let me in, but I want you to know that I will fix this. You don't deserve Peyton's anger, _I_ kissed _you_. I'm the one that she should be mad at, I'm the one to blame. Don't worry, I'll talk to Peyton, she'll be pissed but at me instead of you."

"Who are you and what have you done with Nathan? I really don't expect you to own up to what you did. I mean in a perfect world sure, but it's not like you're Lucas or anything -" Haley stopped when she saw the look of hurt that crossed Nathan's face. She hadn't meant to hurt him, she was just facing the facts. But there it was again, the darkness around the sun. For the second time in a week she had visibly hurt him. Why couldn't she just shut up when she started rambling? It was like a disease for her, every single time she started rambling, something bad happened.

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm not always the bad guy. I thought you, of all people, would understand that I can be a decent person. But thanks for reminding me that I'm always supposed to be the screw-up. There are times when I actually try to fix what I fuck up." Nathan was shocked that Haley didn't believe him. He was doing this specifically for her, he was always the jackass and she couldn't even see that he was trying to be better for her sake.

"Okay that didn't come out right, you've never been this way. So it's kind of hard to believe that you are doing this." Haley never thought that she would be retracting her words when it came to Nathan, but there was a first time for everything. She could see the pain fade into cold anger.

"Well, Don't do me any favors by actually having faith in me. Because apparently I am worthless, a waste, I guess I should be more like Lucas, huh?" Nathan was seething, even when she tried to make him feel better, he only felt worse. She seemed so condescending, and it genuinely hurt him that she didn't trust him. Yes, he had a track record, but she had seen a better side of him. However, that seemed to have been in vain, since she didn't believe that he could mend something that he broke. Tired of trying to make her believe him, Nathan exited the apartment making sure to slam the door on his way out. He knew it was destructive and he didn't want to hurt Haley, but he also couldn't afford to let his guard down if she wouldn't even believe him.

Haley sank to the ground crying. She had broken him once again. She couldn't help having suspicions, he had never done anything nice for her why would he start now? _Maybe because he cares about you. _Haley had tried to push that thought out of her head, he couldn't like her. She was tutor girl, she still slept with Mr. Waffles, she wore clothes that Brooke declared were unfit for homeless people. _I wish everyone would let go of the poncho! _But he was Nathan Scott everyone else loved him, he was popular and athletic. They were supposed to hate eachother, it's what they had been doing for years. Suddenly she's supposed to believe him, because he was nice and he kissed her. No, this wasn't a fairytale, he was just trying to get to her. Or at least, that's what she was choosing to believe.

Nathan went over to Peyton's house. He knew it was a bad idea, but he was a bad person. Or at least that was his justification. He was stubborn, arrogant, and filled with pride. Haley had hurt him and he needed to do something in retaliation. He wouldn't hurt Haley, but the idea of fucking Peyton was starting to be very appealing. Right now, his head was filled with Haley and hopefully make-up sex would cheer him up and clear his head of _her_. Yes, it was self-destructive and bone-headed but no one had ever taught him how to handle problems. So he did what was expected. He had compromised that idea with Haley, and it was useless. However, he had a slight dilemna: _What should I tell Peyton? _

Peyton opened her door and was glad to see Nathan, she knew that he would come to his senses and choose her. She did wonder why it took so long, but all that really mattered was that he was here now. Nathan stood in front of her with a somber expression,_ this can't be good_ she thought.

"Peyton, we need to talk." Nathan had made up his mind and he was going through with his decision.

"Every girl's favorite phrase,"Peyton mumbled. She was worried, he seemed to be breaking up with her and that would be horrible. She would be losing a bestfriend and a boyfriend all around the same time.

"Haley didn't kiss me, I kissed her." He knew that she wouldn't readily believe him, but he would have to convince her of the truth. " We were working together, and I crossed the line. Don't blame her, it was my fault."

"Nathan, don't be silly, of course it was her fault. You have been faithful to me this whole time, you wouldn't cheat. Haley has been reeling from her break-up with Chris. She was desperate for attention and when you gave it to her, she threw herself at you. She's the one to blame, but it is sweet that you would try to protect my friendship with that whore."

"Haley is _not_ a whore. She did not throw herself at me, she slapped me. Peyton, you're being a bitch. Haley has always been in the right and my track record isn't that clean. I couldn't help myself." Nathan turned around and left Peyton to her thoughts, it was more important for her to know the truth than for Nathan to fuck her brains out. Plus he wouldn't go through with it anyway, it felt like cheating on Haley.

Haley decided to put her thoughts about Nathan down, the best way that she knew how, through lyrics.

_Am I another Casualty?  
In the battle you're fighting?  
You're your own worse enemy,  
At war with yourself, but you can't see._

And I can't stand to watch,  
Your comet coming fast,  
Everywhere you go it seems that lighting strikes and then you crash,  
I don't know how you do it,  
It always ends the same,  
Everywhere you go it seems lightning strikes but there's no rain, no rain.

Feel like you're moving in slow motion,  
And you don't know where you're going,  
You tried it all and it's too boring,  
Tighten up your grip cause it's a long way down.

And I can't stand to watch,  
Your comet coming fast,  
Everywhere you go it seems lighting strikes and then you crash,  
I don't know how you do it,  
It always ends the same,  
Everywhere you go it seems lightning strikes but there's no rain.

Watching you slip away,  
It's getting harder everyday,  
When you're coming down like a hurricane,  
I can't stand to see you in pain,  
So I just look away.

I can't stand to watch,  
Your comet coming fast,  
Everywhere you go it seems lighting strikes and then you crash,  
I don't know how you do it,  
It always ends the same,  
Everywhere you go it seems lightning strikes but there's no rain, no rain, no rain...

Lightening strikes but there's no rain.


	7. 2 am

A/N I'm so sorry that it takes me so long to update!! I only included the parts of the song 2 am that fit best with this chapter. Please read and review!

A week had passed and Nathan and Haley were finally able to work in peace, with only minor interruptions from the shrew known as Peyton. She was still weary of the two hanging out, but she accepted the fact that they were working together and nothing would stop them. Haley had just finished writing the rest of Peyton's song, and Nathan was very pleased with how it turned out. He didn't really want his time with Haley to end. Haley felt the exact same way, and if Peyton weren't watching them so closely, they might have kissed again. The sexual tension was palpable, and Haley's guilty conscious was the only thing saving them from going down that path...for now.

A knock at the door forced reality back into Haley's apartment. She bounced off to the door happily, but her smile soon left her face when she saw who was standing there, Chris Keller. "Hey, Hales, you miss me?" Chris' voice dripped with arrogance, and Haley was supremely confused. He left her a few months ago, why was he back now? And, more importantly, how would Nathan react? Haley knew that if he didn't have that agreement with Jake, he probably would be with Haley right now, he had certainly dropped enough hints about it. This was going to be a disaster.

"Now, Haley, I know what you're thinking, what is The Keller doing here? Shouldn't he be off to bigger and better things? Yeah, but I'm here to give you the pleasure of dating me again, so how about a celebratory make-out session?" Haley began to laugh uncontrollably, he really was king of the arrogant losers. How could she have dated him?? The thought made her violently ill, just to think about it. However, her thoughts were interrupted by the looming presence of Nathan and the look of pure fear on Chris Keller's face. He was scared shitless of Nathan, and now here was his worst nightmare.

"Keller, you have 5 seconds to leave Haley's apartment until I beat you into a bloody pulp," Nathan was enraged with the nerve of Chris coming here, expecting Haley to automatically forgive him. She already had someone, well not entirely, but that was coming soon. Haley was shocked by Nathan's possessiveness, he was never this way with Peyton, and now suddenly he was ready to kill Chris over her. She couldn't deny that he looked even sexier when he was jealous. And Chris Keller was gone in a flash, however Nathan's mood seemed to stay the same.

"What the hell, Haley? I thought that you and I had something, and you let Chris Keller, of all people, back into your life." Nathan was confused as hell, he thought that she felt the same way, but maybe he was wrong.

"Look, I did not invite Chris here! He just showed up, and why would you assume that I would automatically get back together with Chris. This sounds wrong, but being around you makes me feel a thousand times better than I ever did around him, and we're not even dating-"

"Yet, we're not dating YET," Nathan emphasized. He knew that they would end up together, but Haley didn't seem so convinced. "Come on,Hales, don't fight it, just go with it. This whole Peyton mess will be over soon, and we both know you won't be able to resist me for very long," his trademark smirk slowly spreading across his lips.

"This 'Peyton Mess' as you so eloquently put it, is a huge deal. She is one of my best friends, and I don't want to hurt her. Yes, right now she is being a bitch. But, she gets like that sometimes, why do you think we call her Peyton Marie Sawyer, even though her middle name is Elizabeth. She has her bitchy moments, but I'm not going to end a friendship over some guy. I mean sure for a few months things would be good, but a leopard can't change its spots. Be realistic-"

Nathan did it again. He kissed her to shut her up. He knew that he needed to find away to prove that they would be perfect together. And he knew his plan was working when she pulled him closer to her instead of shoving him away. They began feverishly making out, hands roaming over every inch of the other's body. There was just something electric about their kisses. Sure, this was only their second one, but it just felt so right. Nathan fought off the urge to come up for air until the last possible second, afraid that Haley would regret the whole thing. He, on the other hand, never wanted to stop kissing her. Her lips were so soft and their mouthes fit together perfectly. They seemed to anticipate the other one's actions. This kind of chemistry was rare, especially this early in their "relationship" but it was there.

They finally both pulled away panting, that one kiss was filled with so much passion that both of them needed a second to cool down and return to some semblance of normalcy. Haley's mind was blank, all she could think about was kissing Nathan again. But this was a dangerous game to play. Yet, however unwillingly, she felt it: that crazy head-over-heels feeling you only get with that one special person. The only problem was that it was the wrong person and she needed to stop leaving herself open to his actions. She quickly pecked at his lips but pushed him back before he could deepen the kiss. She needed time to think, and she couldn't do that with him around.

"Nathan, you need to go. This can't keep happening, it's not a good idea. We're going to end up hurting a lot of people, and it may seem worth it now, but I'm not entirely sure. I think we should spend a little bit of time away from eachother. We both need to gain a fresh perspective on the situation. Besides, Peyton's song is finished, that was the deal."

"I'll stay away for now, but the deal included your album. And I like to keep a watchful eye on _all_ of my investments. You can't get rid of me that easily. So take your time, think, but you'll come to the same conclusion. Stop fighting it so hard." Nathan held her gaze briefly, and left without another word.

After hours of staring blankly at the tv trying to ignore the tingles she still felt from his hands, Haley sighed dejectedly and looked at the clock. 2am. Great, she needed sleep but it seemed to be pretty evasive right now. She was scared, plain and simple. It was a risk, was is worth it? Hopefully, the piano could offer some clarity.

_Snow falls on the city  
white on white  
It's the color of hope  
on an unforgiving night  
you kissed me into ruins  
sin on sin  
now i've gotta love your love letters  
written on my skin_

__

I can't tell the stars from the downtown lights  
If I admit I can't get used to this  
will my heart break again?  
as i fall into the waiting arms of 2 AM

someone's scratchy music through the walls.  
sirens weavin' thru the streets  
i must have missed your call  
gathering up these nights  
black on black  
i know your voice like it's my own  
and it makes my heart go slack

_If I admit I can't get used to this  
Will my heart break again?  
As I fall  
Into the waiting arms of 2 AM  
Of 2 AM _


End file.
